Fastener for wall panels



Feb. 28, 3967 J. A. AMRHEIN ETAL 3,395,994

FASTENER FOR WALL PANELS Filed April 20, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q/lzveza 07, :1

' fiwr/wy 1%? J. A. AMRHEIN ETAL 3 FASTENER FOR WALL PANELS Filed April 20, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 28, 1967 J H I ETAL 3,305,994

FASTENER FOR WALL PANELS Filed April 20, 1964 4 Sheets-Shet s 7 9 m. M MM affw/vz Feb. 28, E967 Filed April 20, 1964 J. A. AMRHEIN ETAL 3,305,994

FASTENER FOR WALL PANELS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,305,994 FASTENER FOR WALL PANELS John Arthur Amrhein and Thomas James Weiler, Whitefish Bay, Wis., assignors to Inland Steel Products Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 360,991 8 Claims. (Cl. 52-489) This invention relates to building structures. More particularly, this invention is concerned with novel structures for covering surfaces, such as walls and roofs, with rigid sheet material panels.

It is quite common in many building structures to cover various surfaces including walls, roofs and ceilings with panels made of thin sheet material, such as of sheet metal, plastic or Fiberglas. Although such panels can be applied to many surfaces, it is quite common to use them to cover surfaces of a skeletal nature, such as are made of wood or metal framing.

Although many techniques have been employed previously to fasten such building panels to structural surfaces, they have not been entirely satisfactory because most often fastening means are required which detract from the aesthetic appearance of the panels. In those cases where rivets, bolts or similar fastening means are employed, it is often necessary to perforate the panels in order to effect the desired fastening. Furthermore, once the fastening has been achieved, there is also the rather obvious appearance of the heads or riveted extremities that meet the eyes.

Various other techniques besides riveting and bolting have been applied, such as button forming and clinching of the panels together and to the structural framework, but these techniques also involve deformation of the panels and do not lead to coverings which are entirely satisfactory as far as appearance is concerned and which also are applied only with considerable effort, and are time-consuming and expensive techniques.

In view of the prior art deficiencies in applying sheet material panels to structural surfaces, there has been provided by this invention novel fastening means, as well as panel joints produced using such fastening means to fasten the panels to a surface structure. The invention broadly comprises the utilization of a fastening clip which is afiixed or secured to the building framework or structure and which then secures together two overlapping edges of adjacent panels in substantially fixed relationship to each other and the structure surface such as a wall, ceiling or roof.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a wall partially cutaway, showing a representative composite wall structure employing sheet material covering panels and the novel fastening clip provided herewith for producing the novel joints of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the fastening clip provided herewith;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the fastening clip;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view through a paneled wall structure showing the joint formed with one type of fastening clip;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional view through a paneled wall structure of a joint in which another embodiment of fastening clip is employed;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the clip embodiment of FIGURE 2 showing it can be sprung;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the clip of FIGURE 3 showing how it can be sprung;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical sectional view along the line 9-9 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 10 is an isometric view showing a partial joint produced using a clip having a single U-shaped hooked end for use therein;

FIGURE 11 is a sectional end view of the structure of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is an isometric view showing a partially completed joint using a fastening clip having a single U-shaped hooked end; and

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view in elevation at the line 1313 of FIGURE 12.

In the drawings the same identifying numbers are used for identical elements appearing in different views for purposes of simplicity.

As shown in FIGURE 1, a planar structure 10, in this case a vertical wall, is constructed of a wood framework having sole plates 11, studs 12 and top horizontal plate 13. Spacers 14 can be placed between the studs to stiffen the wall. Over the open framework of such a skeletal planar structure may be applied gypsum board 15 and over that may be placed insulating material 16 in sheet form. If desired, it is unnecessary to apply either the gypsum board or the insulation. For the purposes of this invention, it is immaterial whether such intermediate coverings are employed or not.

With further reference to FIGURE 1, the planar wall structure is covered with panels of thin sheet material. The panels 17 can be of any suitable sheet material such as sheet steel, sheet aluminum, plastic sheets, Fiberglas sheets or other suitable materials which are sufficiently rigid to form useable wall panel coverings without significant reinforcements. The panels should have significant strength in their own right to be useful for covering planar surfaces of a more or less skeletal nature. C0r rugating of various styles is often used to stiffen the panels.

Horizontal members or girts .18 are fastened to the wall strcuture at suitable locations thereon although generally the-re should be such girts at the top and bottom edges of the planar structure as well as intermediate girts as required to securely fasten the panels to the planar structure. The girts may be fastened to the planar structure by any suitable means. Fastening clips '19 are then used to secure the panels to the structure.

One embodiment of a fastening clip provided by this invention is shown in FIG. 2 and will be seen to comprise a shank portion 20 having U-shaped ends 21 which are essentially mirror images of each other. Each of the U-shaped ends 21 have sharp prongs 22 which are useful in holding the panels together in overlapped joints as will be seen from the subsequent discussion. The shank 20 of the clip of FIG. 2 has a center portion 23 which is an integral part of outwardly and upwardly extending arms 24 having U-shaped end portions 21. Each of the arms is of about the same size and shape and advisably both arms are in the same plane. The U-shaped 'hooked ends 21 are more or less normal to the plane of the arms 24 and are on the same side of said plane.

Panel 25 of FIG. 1 has an upturned longitudinal flange 26. A clip such as shown in FIGURE 2 is used to secure such panel to the wall by passing one end of the clip under girt 18 and then securing both of the hooked ends 21 over the edge of the upstanding flange 26. Similar clips are likewise employed at the top and bottom of the panel to give further fastening of the panel to the wall structure.

The clip of FIG. 2 is advisably made of spring wire. As shown in FIGURE 6, it can be sprung a considerable distance so that in holding the edge of the panels in position, a continual force is applied to the panel, there by urging it towards the supporting structure.

FIG. 4 shows the clip of FIGS. 2 and 6 used to secure two panels together to form a joint. FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through a joint of the wall structure of FIG. 1. Spacer 40 is positioned between the girt member 18 and the wallboard or gypsum board in order to keep the insulation 16 from being unduly compressed by the girt when it is applied. Panel ends in a longitudinal upturned flange 26 which advisably runs the entire length of the panel. The panel 25 is secured to the planar wall structure by having the clip center portion 20 in the rear of the girt member 18 with the arms 24 extending forward above and below the horizontal edges of the girt member. The hooked portions 21 at each end of the fastening clip are pulled forward and sprung over the flange portion 26'. After the clip is released, it springs firmly against the upper edge 28 of the flange 26. Panel 29 has at its longitudinal edge an inverted trough or groove 30 which runs the entire length of the panel. The trough or groove 30 together with upturned flange or tongue 26 form a joint structure referred to in the art as a tongue and groove joint. The trough 30 is pressed firmly over the hooked portion 21 of the clip and is forced into frictional con-tact therewith. The prong 22 on the hooked ends digs into the wall of the trough and as a result, prevents the panel from being pulled off except by the use of considerable force. The resulting joint obtained in this manner is aesthetically acceptable and involves no deformation of the panels. The joint clip or fastening member is hidden and in no way detracts from the neatness of the joint or the rigid sheet covering.

FIG. 8, which is a vertical sectional view along the line 88 of FIG. 4, further illustrates the joint obtained using the clip embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 6. In FIG. 8, the center portion 23 of the clip is positioned in the back of the girt 18 and in contact therewith. The arms 24 are sprung to positions 24a as shown in the drawing and the arms are maintained in a sprung position when the hooks 21 are placed over the longitudinal flange edge 28.

FIGS. 3 and 7 show another fastening clip embodiment provided by this invention. In these figures, the shank portion 32 is made up of a center portion 33 from which the arms 34 of approximately equal size project outwardly and upwardly. Each of the arms has a U- shaped hooked portion 35 at the ends thereof and each hooked portion contains a prong or barb 36, formed such as by partially punching through the metal to upset it and produce a projection which extends slightly beyond the surface of the U-shaped hook. The clip of FIGS. 3 and 7 is advisably made of flat spring metal steel stock material. The center portion 33 is essentially flat although it has, as shown in FIG. 3, a longitudinal rib 37 which serves to stiffen the central portion and increase its resiliency.

In producing the clip of FIGS. 3 and 7, a very wide and shallow flat bottomed V-sha-ped stamping can be made from metal stock material. The arms 34 are then bent approximately 90 so that they are approximately normal to the plane of the central portion 33 with both of the arms in approximately a single plane. The prongs 36 can be formed in the end of the arms before or after they are bent and before or after the terminal part of the arms are bent over to form the hook portions 35. Each of the arms formed is essentially a mirror image of the other. As shown in FIG. 7, the arms 34a can be flexed toward each other such as to positions 34a and in this way, the hooks at the end of the arms can be slipped over the flange at the edge of the panels.

FIGS. 5 and 9 illustrate a joint of two overlapping panels using the clip of FIGS. 3 and 7. In each of these figures the sub-structure is made up of the elements as previously described and the reference numbers refer to such elements. The center portion 33 of the fastening clip is positioned against the back of the girt member 18 and the sprung 'arrns 34a are hooked by portions 35 over the end 28 of the flange or tongue 26. In this way, panel 35 is secured along one edge. Then, the panel 29 is placed in position with the trough 30 overlapping the edge 28 of flange 26 to form a tongue and groove joint. When the trough 3G is placed over the hooked portions 35 of the clip, the prongs 36 dig into the inner wall surface of the trough and thereby tightly secure the panel 29 in place. The width of the trough is correlated to permit the hooked portion 35 of the fastening clip to be pressed firmly and forcefully into the trough so that it will be held by friction and shearing forces against removal therefrom.

Although the invention up to this point has been described particularly in regard to fastening clips having both ends hooked and joints formed by using the same to connect two panels together in a tongue and groove joint, this invention also provides and uses novel fastening clips which have a single hooked end for use in producing joints.

As shOWn in FIGS. 10 and 11, clip has a stem portion 51. The stem 51 is much like the center portion 33 of the clip of FIGS. 3 and 7 with the exception that the end of the stem 51 is hooked upwardly to form the shallow hooked end 52. The arm 34 and hooked end 36 of the clip 50 are of substantially the same structure as in the clip of FIGS. 3 and 7. The hooked end 35 also has the prong or barb 36.

Clip 50 can be utilized to make a secure joint by slipping the hooked end 52 under the bottom edge of girt 18 and then springing the hooked end 35 over edge 28 of panel 25. The stem portion 51 is arced so as to create 'a spring efiect to urge the panel 25 against the girt 18. Subsequently, the trough portion of panel 29 can then be applied over the edge 28 to form a joint such as has been previously described in regard to FIGS. 5 and 9, the only difference being of course that there is a single hooked portion 35 on the clip used in producing this joint.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show an additional fastening clip which has a single hooked end for use in producing a tongue and groove joint according to this invention. The fastening clip of these figures has 'a stem 61 from which arm 34 projects in a manner such as has been described for the clip of FIG. 7. The stem 61 is provided with suitable means to fasten it to a girt member. In the case as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, holes are provided so that nails 62 can be driven into wood girt 63 to secure the fastening clip in place. The hooked end 35 can be placed over the edge 28 of panel 25 before or after the stem 61 is secured to the girt member 63. In the next step, the trough member of the adjoining panel is positioned over the edge 28 of panel 25 to complete the joint in a manner as has been described in regard to FIG. 5.

Although the clips as shown in FIGS. 3, l0 and 12 have more or less flat arms with hooks of flat metal stock and show only a single prong or barb 36, it is obvious that a prong can be placed on the opposite side of the hook so as to achieve dual frictional and shear forces in the trough or groove portion of the overlapping panel of the joint. Furthermore, 'a prong or barb can be punched inwardly so that it comes into contact with the upstanding flange 26. Also, the hooked portions 35 can have dual barbs or prongs on each side of the U-shaped hooked ends to further facilitate obtaining a secure joint.

Various changes and modifications of the invention can be made and, to the extent that such variations incorporate the spirit of this invention, they are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A metal clip for use in joining rigid sheet material panels together and to a building structure, the clip comprising: I

an elongated center portion of flat metal strip,

arms of flat metal strip integral with the center portion and extending outwardly beyond ends of the center portion in an upwardly inclined direction oblique to a line through the ends of the center portion and with the flat surfaces of the arms being in a plane normal to the plane of the center portion flat strip,

U-shaped hooked end portions at the end and to the side of the arms and integral therewith, and

sharp prong means on an outerside of the U-shaped hooked end portions which can dig into troughs of panel surfaces forced thereover to hold the trough by frictional, and resistant to shearing, forces when used in combination with such panel,

the distance between the U-shaped hooked end portions being substantially longer than the length of the center portion and the open mouths of the U- shaped hooked end portions face down toward a line extending through the ends of the center portion.

2. A metal clip according to claim 1 having both U- shaped hooked end portions on the same side of the plane of the arms, and the prong means is an integral part of the end portion comprising displaced metal partially punched therefrom.

3. A metal clip according to claim 1 in which the flat metal strip center portion is arced downwardly.

4. A joint for a rigid sheet covering placed over a building structure comprising:

a girt member,

a first panel, in front of the girt member, of thin sheet material having an upright flange portion at a 1ongitudinal edge said girt member being normal to the direction of the flange,

a metal clip having an elongated center portion located behind the girt member, arms integral with the center portion and extending outwardly beyond ends of the center portion in an upwardly inclined direction oblique to a line through the ends of the center portion, U-shaped hooked end portions at the end and to the side of the arms and integral therewith, and sharp prong means on an outerside of the U shaped hooked end portions, said U-shaped hooked end portions being hooked in tension over the flange portion of said first panel and in contact with the flange edge, and

a second thin panel, in front of the girt member, of

sheet material having a longitudinally upright trough near one longitudinal edge with said trough positioned to cover the flange portion on the first panel, said trough being wide and deep enough to receive the U-shaped end portion of the clip positioned laterally therein in a tight friction fit with said prong means digging into an inner wall surface of the trough to resist withdrawal of the trough from the clip and to maintain the trough in position covering the flange of the first panel.

5. A joint according to claim 4 in which the panels are sheet metal and the clip is of spring wire with sharp ends forming 'the prongs.

6. A joint according to claim 4 in which the panels are sheet metal and the clip is of thin spring metal stock.

7. A joint according to claim 4 in which the clip center portion is a flat metal strip and the arms are flat metal strips in a plane normal to the plane of the center portion metal strip.

8. A joint according to claim 7 in which the center portion is arced downwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A JOINT FOR A RIGID SHEET COVERING PLACED OVER A BUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING: A GIRT MEMBER, A FIRST PANEL, IN FRONT OF THE GIRT MEMBER, OF THIN SHEET MATERIAL HAVING AN UPRIGHT FLANGE PORTION AT A LONGITUDINAL EDGE SAID GIRT MEMBER BEING NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF THE FLANGE, A METAL CLIP HAVING AN ELONGATED CENTER PORTION LOCATED BEHIND THE GIRT MEMBER, ARMS INTEGRAL WITH THE CENTER PORTION AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY BEYOND ENDS OF THE CENTER PORTION IN AN UPWARDLY INCLINED DIRECTION OBLIQUE TO A LINE THROUGH THE ENDS OF THE CENTER PORTION, U-SHAPED HOOKED END PORTIONS AT THE END AND TO THE SIDE OF THE ARMS AND INTEGRAL THEREWITH, AND SHARP PRONG MEANS ON AN OUTERSIDE OF THE USHAPED HOOKED END PORTIONS, SAID U-SHAPED HOOKED END PORTIONS BEING HOOKED IN TENSION OVER THE FLANGE PORTION OF SAID FIRST PANEL AND IN CONTACT WITH THE FLANGE EDGE, AND A SECOND THIN PANEL, IN FRONT OF THE GIRT MEMBER, OF SHEET MATERIAL HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY UPRIGHT TROUGH NEAR ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE WITH SAID TROUGH POSITIONED TO COVER THE FLANGE PORTION ON THE FIRST PANEL, SAID TROUGH BEING WIDE AND DEEP ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THE U-SHAPED END PORTION OF THE CLIP POSITIONED LATERALLY THEREIN IN A TIGHT FRICTION FIT WITH SAID PRONG MEANS DIGGING INTO AN INNER WALL SURFACE OF THE TROUGH TO RESIST WITHDRAWAL OF THE TROUGH FROM THE CLIP AND TO MAINTAIN THE TROUGH IN POSITION COVERING THE FLANGE OF THE FIRST PANEL. 